B9 Audi A4 rendered and set to come with cylinder deactivation technology as well as a plug in hybrid

B9 Audi A4 rendered and set to come with cylinder deactivation technology as well as a plug in hybrid

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B9 Audi A4 rendered and set to come with cylinder deactivation technology as well as a plug in hybrid

The B9 generation A4 is coming in 2014 and Audi plans to implement some significant technological upgrades to the A4. The first of which will be cylinder deactivation technology. Obviously this is popular and being implemented due to gains in fuel efficiency when only half the cylinders are being used. A plug-in hybrid model is also planned as Audi intends to extend their hybrid technology with what the VW group is learning from various hybrid/electric projects (Audi E-Tron models, Porsche 918 Spyder, etc.).

Expect the new A4 in 2014. Renderings are below although they do not look all that different from the current B8 generation so take the pictures with a grain of salt.

-If you cut the active cylinders and displacement in half, you don't get half power, you get even less. So taking the 211hp, I'd guess optimistically 90hp would come out of the engine at full throttle at the RPM it would normally make peak power. Then consider that cylinder deactivation only makes sense at part throttle, and a lower RPM, so drop that down to maybe about 40hp, and then add in 20% drivetrain loss which is pretty optimistic for a 4 wheel drive automatic, and you get 32hp to the wheels. That isn't enough power for an Audi A4 to even overcome rolling and wind resistance at freeway speeds.

-Then consider that instead of one combustion every 180 degrees of crankshaft rotation, it's one combustion every 360 degrees, which would be a very extreme jump in engine vibrations into the cabin.

This is why cylinder deactivation is normally done on a large high power V8 which won't be affected as much and has more power to start.